Bon Moor Drain

The Parish Council has been in diplomatic negotiations with Nottinghamshire County Council regarding our request for formal management protocols for the upper reaches of the Bon Moor Drain (“Stink Dyke”).  This drain is redundant and dry for most of the year and sprouts abundant vegetation which blocks it. This greatly increases flood risk to Orston when the drain is suddenly overwhelmed with water from heavy rainfall and drainage from higher land.

The Inland Drainage Board (IDB) is adamant that the cleansing of this drain is legally the responsibility of ‘riparian owners’, i.e. All the residents/landowners who abut the drain, or if they are tenants – their landlords.

Whilst the Parish Council hopes and expects riparian owners to meet their legal responsibilities some are elderly and/or infirm and cannot realistically be expected to struggle in the drain with cutting implements. The ‘Grafters’ have done sterling work in trying to clear the ‘Bon Moor’ for years to allow flood water passage but THEY, also, are not in the ‘first flush of youth’.

The Inland Drainage Board has been extremely helpful in trying to keep the Bon Moor Drain free of vegetation and rubbish.

The IDB does this as a ‘favour’ but, as such, it is not the major priority for them as they have a full and busy schedule of work that IS specified as their priority. A great deal of time is spent by O.P.C. in trying to ‘call in’ this favour at appropriate times to minimise our flood risk.

At the time of writing this, to keep you informed, we are working with Dr. Josh Wells, the Principal Officer for Flood Risk Management, Highways and Transport for Nottinghamshire County Council.

We will keep you informed of any developments in this important matter.

Meantime, if your property has been affected by flooding please can you contact Gerry McMahon  on 07971 443346 or email cllrgerrymcmahon@orstonparish.co.uk

For more help and advice about flooding please visit this Nottinghamshire County Council webpage https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKNOTTSCC/bulletins/3b6b947

Thank you

O.P.C.